Stepped end bag

ABSTRACT

A unique stepped end bag of the type having a tubular body formed from a plurality of superposed plies of bag-forming material terminating at different points to form stepped ends featuring a component arrangement which provides alternate grasping notches and tabs which facilitates the use of bottoming equipment to close and seal the ends of the bag that was previously limited to use on flush-cut bags. The alternate notches and tabs are formed in the inner ply to allow the grasping fingers on bottoming equipment to grasp and separate the opposite sides of the bag ends so that the ends can be automatically glued and folded into sealed relationship.

United States Patent $386,646 6/1968 Arenbeck 229/55 PrimaryExaminer-David M. Bockenek AttorneysAlan J. Steger and E. J. HollerABSTRACT: A unique stepped end bag of the type having a tubular bodyformed from a plurality of superposed plies of bag-forming materialterminating at different points to form stepped ends featuring acomponent arrangement which provides alternate grasping notches and tabswhich facilitates the use of bottoming equipment to close and seal theends of the bag that was previously limited to use on flush-cut bags.The alternate notches and tabs are formed in the inner ply to allow thegrasping fingers on bottoming equipment to grasp and separate theopposite sides of the bag ends so that the ends can be automaticallyglued and folded into sealed relationship.

PATENTEDAus awn 3,596,826

sum 2 [IF 2 INVE TOR. WILLIAM J. est-5LT! endsof the paper -'bag whenmultiplied by-the"treme'n'dousnumberot' paperba'gs in use today'can'amounttoia considera the obsoletion of the older typeafingergrasping{bottoming s'rsrerzn END 'BAG' BACKGROUND OFTHE mvemion This inventionrelates toa unique-stepped end bag configuration and, more particularly;a steppedend-paper-bag'featuring. a unique component arrangement whichprovides-- alternate grasping'tabs' and notches to facilitatetheuse-ofbottoming equipment that was previously limited to useon flu sh cut typebags.

Paper bags have historically been constructedfroms'eparate layersor'plies of paper: A standard't'ype of paperbagha's been theflush-cuttype'where a tubular configuration is formed of 3 severallayers of paper, 'each of the layers'being of mesame length and havingtheir ends cut flush witheach other; Ofiopposite sides of this type'ofba'galtemate=notcheswere formed to facilitate th'e'use of bottomingequipm'enttoseal the ends of these paper bags.- These flush-cut'bags..were"'fed' lengthwise into standard bottomingequipment,=such'as-the well-known Coty BottomermanufacturedbyCotyManufacturing'Com pany, which have gripping fingerswhich separate onesideefthe bag from the'Other-bygraSping -it=inthe-area of-the" notches. The bottoming equipmentthen applied'adhe'siveto 25 ment. This finger-grasping itype bottoming equipment =hasthe endsof the bag and folded'the ends into'sealed engage-J bular configurationas is the nusmcm bag. ,;However; -in I the'-' stepped end bag, 'each ofthe layers "ofpaper 'hasportio'ns removed to form sta'ggeredOr isteppedends asait has' been found that the "ends can-be folded andsealedwithout'the necessity of :having each layer'of paper'beingthe'same' length. The savings of even small :amounts of paper materialin the ble decrease in the cost of paper ba'gsz-To date; :thehnanufacvture-of stepped end :bags has required the use of a so=callefd flatbedbottoming'machinewhichtrequiresthat the bagstbe fed 45 in sidewaysandwhich uses vacuum attachments to separete the' oppositesides of thebagto facilitatethe gluing andfoldin g of the ends 'into a sealedarrangement; Thus; -the'iincreased usage of the more economicalsteppedend'bag has' resulteidin equipment used heretofore onlyon'flush-cutbags:

SUMMARY OF THElNVENTlON 'plish this result, this invention providesa.stepped endbag formedfrorn three superposed 'tubular plies (ifpaper-attached to eachother so that their ends arenotcoterminous.'-Alternat-.

older type bottoming equipment may igrasp one side- 'of the paper-bag soas to separateit fro rn the:q positeside and-- e creasingly popular duesto theiconsiderable savings'ZOfpaper used in each individual bag. Thesteppedend bag is formed form a plurality of layers of paperoverlying'eachother in a titing notches and tabs are formed onathe innerplyof paper smas to provide-a space through which the gripping fmgers ufthe FIGL'Z is a perspective viewof th'estep'p ed end ba'g'of thisinvention.

FlGiB is a perspective view of thestepped end bag of FlG. 2

as it is being sealed'and-closed';

FIG: 4 is a perspective view of the step'pedend bag of this inventionafteris has been'completely'closed;

' formedfrom'three tubular plies of paper l2, l4, and 16. Tile in'n'etplylZ' and themiddle ply- 14 aregenerallyof the same 15 grade-ofpaperi'while the outei' ply 'l6 rna'y'be'of a different grade-of paperwhich is better adaptable for printing purposes.

As'canbeseen in each 'of the figures, the three layers of paper" havebeen cut 'to different lengths so that excess paper not needed 'in 'the'sealing and closing of the ends'ha's been tabsflll 'arefoi-rnedthereinfAscan be seen in'FIG. 1,'the

pperside ofthe inner layer l2'has a notch 18 at one end and :a tab20 atthe other end. Alternately, the lower side of the bthe'r endflt should"be understood that the next bag to be foi-med (not shown) onthe'tuber'will'have'a tab "20 "which has a tab wh'ich matches the notch18- and a notchwh'ich mates withit he'tab"20IAs'explainedearlier; it isthe purpose ofthese" alternate notches l8and t'abs'20 to adaptthis'stepped end bag 2-10 of this"inventionfor use *on abottoming'machine which utili'aed'igripping'flrigers tO sepa'rate the'o'pposite sides of the bag-to the-position 'sh'o'wn'in FIG. 2.Withoutthesealterna't'e -notches 18 -a'ndtabs20; thisstandardbottomingequipment, ;t 'ornierlyuseableon only flush-cut'ba'gs; would not be ableto fgrasp the-opposite "'s'idesof-thebag so as'toseparate them for thegluing'and t'oldingoperations;*Oncethe opposite sides are separated asshdw'n' i'n FIG: 2, adhesive is applied directly to the inteiiorof themultiplelayere'd bag 10'and the ends folded ,.zlinto 'sea'led'-engagernent as-shown in thetransition from FIG. 3 to 11 16. 4.The'outer'surface arms resulting end of the bag is 'forrn'e completelyby 'theouter'ply l6'whichis folded over -'elirninated. Ascan be seen inFIG. 1, each of the opposite ends ilayer'l'z have been alternatelynotched so that notches 18 and inner ply-12 hasa tab 20 a t one end anda notch '18 at the the rni'ddle and innerplieslfiand '12; respectively.The resulting end' as shown in 'FIG". 4 is completely sealed'and closedso tha t'thecontents cannot escape from the bag l0.

' 'Thusi-it is the unique configuration'of the stepped end bag" :ofithisinvention wherein alternate notches '1'8 and tabs 20 are providedwhiehmake's thisstepped end bag adaptable to be" elosed end s ealed'automatically on the finger-grasping type -;;bottor'ning equipmentformerly useable only on-flush-cut ba'gs.

ba'g"=be '-'turnedsideways prior to its entrance into the bottom :ing'rnac'hirie; In contrast to this; the'finger-grasping 'typebottoniingequipme'nt will receive a'ba glen'gthwise' as it'c'omes off thetube'rand,as aresult;eliminates-theneed'for equipment to rota t e'-thebag andithereforespeeds uptheb'ottoming oper'a- '.tion.' lherefore itshouldbeu'nd'ersto'od that theunique'con ifigurationof'the-stepped "endbag of this invention facilitates facilitatethe applicationof adhesiveand the folding'ofthe two a nt of fingef.g aspingtypeboflgmingequipment;m em;

sides together to sealingly close-the ends of the-bag; 1

Other :objects, features; and i'advantagessof =thisl-invention willbecome obvious to thoseskille'd in the artto whichit per'tainsupon-reference to the folloWingidetaileddescriptionmnd the drawingsillustrating the preferred embodiment thereof.

lN THE'DRAWINGS 'FlGfil islaschematic view of astep'p'ed endpaperi'bag'of this can be distinguished.

*fofe notuseable with steppedi'end' bags,"and results in an :ove'rallincreasein the speed of production of stepped end 'eb 's 'g'zilltclairnz":

70. 1. A "rnulti-ply stepped-end tubular-bag adapted to be isealinglyclosed at its ends by fmger-g'ra'sping type end closing means,f'sa id'bag comprising-apluralityof superposed'tubular *plies' ofbag-forminginateriaLeach of s'aid tubular plies-having" invention-withits ends separated so that'theindividual layel's" 1 a portion of its andmaterial removedso as to 'form' stepped '75. :lends onsaidtubularplies;'the outermosttubular ply being the shortest of said tubularplies, and the innermost tubular ply being the longest of said tubularplies, and the innermost of said tubular plies having on each endthereof to facilitate the PEI-1050 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICECERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. j, 596, 826 Dated August 5, 1971Inventor(s) William J. Reiselt It is certified that error appears in theabove-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are herebycorrected as shown below:

Column 5, line 3, afterthe word thereof", insert -a single graspingnotch and tab for-med on opposite Signed and sealed this 11th day ofJanuary 1972.

(SEAL) Attest:

ROBERT GOTTSCHALK EDWARD M.FLETCHER, JR.

Acting Commissioner of Patent:

Attesting Officer

1. A multi-ply stepped end tubular bag adapted to be sealingly closed at its ends by finger-grasping type end closing means, said bag comprising a plurality of superposed tubular plies of bag-forming material, each of said tubular plies having a portion of its end material removed so as to form stepped ends on said tubular plies, the outermost tubular ply being the shortest of said tubular plies, and the innermost tubular ply being the longest of said tubular plies, and the innermost of said tubular plies having on each end thereof to facilitate the separation of said ends by said finger-grasping type end-closing means for application of adhesive and folding of said two sides together to sealingly close the ends of said bag. 